Merry Holidays!
by eratheia
Summary: AU. Aomine and shota!Kuroko's first Christmas. Written for my lovely friend Chizu.


**_Merry Holidays!_**

* * *

**Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!**

_Eh, it's time already?_

Aomine groggily rolled over and tapped his alarm clock, putting an end to its incessant ringing. The clock signaled that midnight had arrived and Christmas was here, not that it meant much to him. He'd never celebrated holidays before, due to his family inexplicably treating them as any other day, and that habit carried over into his adulthood. Aomine was now a nineteen year-old sophomore attending Tokyo's university with a place of his own outside of school grounds. With all of the schoolwork his professors flooded him with, it was easy to forget the festivities. But things were different now. He had a person in his life important enough to break that habit of his.

It all started on a bleak night in November, when the air was stiff and unbearably cold for most. Aomine liked that feeling of transparency, the wind passing through him seamlessly like a knife piercing the skin. No one dared to venture outside at this time, when the temperature fell to a blistering degree. So, he often went on walks in the witching hour of the night, solitary and tranquil. He didn't need time to think, or a form of escapism. Simply, he enjoyed the weather, the brisk walks dimly lit by flickering street lamps. That is, until he stumbled over something that sent him crashing to the ground.

No, _someone_.

Aomine fell on his side, landing crudely on his shoulder. That was the least of his concerns, though. What bothered him was the whine he heard the moment before he'd tripped, and the fact that whoever he kicked didn't reach his knees. He looked behind himself, a sense of impending doom hanging in the air. As he'd guessed, the person was a small child, possibly four years of age. Despite his solemn countenance, the toddler's blue eyes were swollen with tears. Aomine took in the pitiful sight, feeling pangs of guilt. The boy didn't wipe his eyes or sniffle, even. Quietly, he let his nose drip and sat in a silent cry.

"Ah, sorry," Aomine began. "I didn't see you there. Um…"

Once Aomine realized he was still in the position he'd fallen in, he shifted himself to face the boy. Sitting with his legs crossed, he scratched his head for a moment, mulling over what to do.

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya," the boy squeaked out in that high-pitched voice of his, breaking off Aomine's thoughts. The tears never stopped; Kuroko just stated his name as he was taught.

"Kuroko, huh? I'm Aomine."

"Hi, Aomine-kun."

"Hey. So, Kuroko, did I… uh, did I hurt you too bad?"

"Yes."

"I thought so. Well…" _I gotta do somethin'._

Retrieving a cotton tissue from his jacket pocket, Aomine wiped the boy's face clean. The tears ceased momentarily, but he noticed them welling up again, daring to break free. In a quick motion, he pulled Kuroko in for a hug. He could feel tiny hands clenching the fabric of his jacket, a tiny nose nudging his neck. Aomine wouldn't admit it, but he found him adorable.

"Thank you. I feel better now," Kuroko said as he clung to Aomine a little tighter.

After a short while, Kuroko plopped down in Aomine's lap with that same austere expression from before. That's when Aomine took note of how opaque his skin was, how it contrasted nicely with his blue hair. He was such a bright child, a beautiful one that any parent would be proud to claim. Where were they?

"Hey, where are your parents?" Aomine asked.

"I don't know."

"You sure?"

"Mhm. I was at an orphage, but they didn't want me so I left."

_He must have meant 'orphanage'… So he ran away. I should take him back, but I've heard they don't always treat them well. Ah, shit._

I cursed myself under my breath for what I knew I was about to do.

"You could stay with me."

Kuroko's once sullen eyes lit up, seemingly bluer than before.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, let's get you inside before you catch a cold."

That night, he walked with Kuroko tucked into his jacket. Aomine's scarf wrapped around the both of their necks, and the boy's head poked out from underneath his chin. He bought a six-inch sub from a nearby 24-hour Subway but only fed Kuroko a fraction of the meal, of course. The tedious job of cutting his sandwich into miniature squares didn't bother Aomine. Neither did making sure that he chewed every chip fully, or that he didn't let his juice dribble down the side of his mouth. Every single thing about children annoyed him- their voices, their smell, their dirty hands always reaching to touch his face. But with Kuroko, the tendency to look after him was almost second nature. Aomine wasn't one to care about others, certainly. _I did kick the little brat earlier. This is the least I can do, _he thought to himself. With that half-hearted excuse, he wrote off his uncanny kindness and took the boy home, tucking him into his bed.

Just as Aomine was about to walk away and prepare his own futon, he heard the barely-there squeak that was becoming more and more familiar.

"Aomine-kun, will you cuddle me?"

Aomine groaned, astounded that he even considered staying.

And he crawled into bed next to Kuroko, wrapping his arm around the boy as they slept.

The next morning, Aomine left his apartment complex before dawn, Kuroko resting comfortably in his arms. There were errands he needed to run before class began. First he went to a supermarket, purchasing things like diapers, body cleansers for children, healthy foods, a car seat and the like. Next was Barnes & Noble for a few books on childcare. He bought Kuroko clothes for the incoming winter and a few beanies for style. Even after he'd completed that, he still had to return home to feed and bathe the boy before finally heading out to university.

By the time Aomine had reached campus, he was exhausted from the hours of sleep he'd relinquished. Financially, he was well off due to his parents' wealth, but the mental strain of caring for another human being dulled in comparison. Even worse, he had to take Kuroko to the on-campus daycare center. The walk from his current location to there was long enough for his erratic group of friends to notice him toting a child. Aomine unstrapped Kuroko from his car seat and began his walk, preparing himself for the inevitable.

"Aominecchi!" _Ah, Kise would be the first of them. _"Hey! I rarely see you in the morning- who is this?" Kise pointed to Kuroko, his face contorting into sheer awe.

"This is Kuroko," Aomine said, fighting the urge to walk past him.

"Ah, he's gorgeous! Look at his eyes, they're so cute! And his little hands! Can I hold him? Please? Come on, Aominecchi," Kise pleaded in a sing-song voice, admiring the toddler.

"I'll let you hold him if you stop talking."

"No! Aomine-kun!" Kuroko squealed, latching himself onto the hood of Aomine's jacket. Just as Kise began to whine, Kagami interrupted.

"What the hell are you doing with a kid?" he said, nonchalant.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Aomine snapped back.

"Don't swear around the baby!" Riko smacked both of them on the head, making her untimely- and uncalled for- entrance.

Gradually, Aomine's group of friends and acquaintances joined in, each fawning over Kuroko in their own way. Murasakibara kept trying to feed him junk food, to which he responded willingly. Somehow, Momoi got the boy out of Aomine's grasp and nearly smothered him with her breasts. Midorima immediately bombarded Aomine with helpful tips on childcare in his scornful manner. Takao mentioned dressing Kuroko in one of his sister's onesies, all while Kise was still moping from his bitter rejection. The moment Akashi appeared with a pair of scissors, Aomine decided it was best to leave. With Kuroko in hand, he broke away from the group, ignoring their complaints.

That day was particularly tiring for Aomine. As if the morning's predicament wasn't enough, he nearly fell asleep in every class, earning himself a few textbooks to the head. When he went to get Kuroko from the daycare center, the toddler was covered in multiple hues of paint, ruining the new clothes he'd bought for him earlier. While Kise volunteered at the daycare during lunch, he told Kuroko about Christmas. Kuroko wouldn't stop talking about the holiday until he fell asleep, telling Aomine about Santa and his sleigh, the reindeer, and every Christmas-related thing he could think of. There was no way he'd go through the hassle of celebrating a holiday just for some kid. He'd take the boy to see Santa at the mall and leave it at that. At least, that was his plan until Kuroko surprised him yet again.

"Merry Christmas, Aomine-kun!"

On November 25th at three in the morning, Kuroko suddenly awoke, nestled in Aomine's bed. He ran about the house shouting, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" until he returned. Standing beside Aomine's half of the bed with his gifts in hand, he gave him a painting and a cookie in plastic cling-wrap.

"I made you a present!" Kuroko went on. "Kise-kun told me about Christmas. He says it's about the spirit of gifting." Aomine presumed he meant 'giving'. "You gave me a home and a bed and food and hugs and cuddles, so I wanted to give you something. Kise-kun helped me paint this! He also says you like cookies, so you can have mine. Merry holidays!"

Aomine couldn't even pretend this meant nothing to him. It meant everything. The fact that Kuroko took time to handcraft a present, he tried to remember the right day but was a month off, that he woke himself at an ungodly hour just to wish Aomine a happy holiday. It was only Kuroko's hand print in different colors on a white sheet of printer paper, only a crumbled cookie he saved from the day's lunch. But he really, really loved this kid.

Before he knew it, he was shopping for a Christmas tree and gift wraps with Kuroko clinging to his side, taking baby steps to keep up with Aomine's long stride. Together, they chose ornaments and other decorations for the house. He let Momoi babysit Kuroko while he bought his presents. But whenever Kuroko was with him, he never told the boy what these things were for. He wanted everything to fall in place on Christmas morning, which brings him to today.

Sluggishly, he stumbled out of bed and made his way downstairs to light everything, heating up a quick cup of coffee to wake himself. When all the preparations were complete, he went to wake the sleeping Kuroko, who spent the previous night in the guest room (to his dismay).

"Wake up, Kuroko. It's Christmas."

Kuroko rubbed his eyes and yawned. "But Aomine-kun, Christmas is over already."

"No, you gave me my gifts a month early. Today is the day."

"Oh." Kuroko nodded off again. Aomine picked him up and went into the living room.

"Take a look," he said, nudging the boy awake.

When Kuroko finally opened his eyes, there were no words that could possibly hope to explain his joy. The Christmas tree was lit, with all of the ornaments that Kuroko and Aomine had bought together. There was a star perched at the top, shining brightly, beautifully. The fireplace was stocked with fresh wood, small embers crackling. Above that were the stockings, hung and stuffed with candy. Aomine thought about putting small toys in there, but didn't want Kuroko to choke on anything. Lights similar to the one strung around the tree bordered the apartment's walls, tinting the room with a yellow glow. Cookies and milk were on the kitchen counter, which were supposed to be left for Santa but Aomine would surely eat them anyway. The radio was on, softly humming a traditional Christmas tune through its speakers. Most notable were the presents perfectly stacked underneath the tree, enough to suffice for a family of four. But they were all for Kuroko.

"What happened?" Kuroko asked, amazed and curious all at once.

"Santa remembered the presents you gave me and wanted to give you some, too. Merry Christmas, Kuroko."

That morning, Aomine decided that as long as he had Kuroko, he'd celebrate Christmas. He loved how Kuroko's eyes lit up as he opened his presents, just like the night they'd met. He treasured those moments when that deadpan expression left Kuroko's face for a smile instead. Watching him eat candy and sing along to the seasonal tunes was nice. Hell, the holiday spirit in general was nice. _I could do this more often, _he mused.

"Thank you, Santa!" Kuroko said, smiling from ear to ear. "Merry holidays!"

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A/N: This fic was posted late because as I was saving it, my computer randomly shut off for an update! I had to re-write half of this. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this story and had a wonderful holiday! Reviews are always appreciated (they motivate me to write more, hehe :3)~


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